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Online a : h ps:// esea ch endsjou nal.com ISSN No: 2584-282X
Indexed Jou nal, Impac Fac o : 6.1 Pee Re iewed Jou nal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRENDS IN EMERGING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Volume 3; Issue 5; 2025; Page No. 34-35
Special Issue o In e na ional Semina (23 d - 24 h Augus , 2025)
On he Topic
Indian Knowledge Sys em (IKS): Challenges & i s Applica ion in Highe Educa ion o
Sus ainable De elopmen
By
Facul y o Educa ion, IASE (DU), Sa da shaha , Chu u, Rajas han - 331403
Biodi e si y Loss due o De o es a ion in he Wes e n Gha s
D . Pushpa
Assis an P o esso , Depa men o Zoology, IASE Deemed o be Uni e si y, Sa da shaha , Rajas han, India
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17198858
Co esponding Au ho : D . Pushpa
Abs ac
The Wes e n Gha s, a UNESCO Wo ld He i age Si e, is one o he eigh “ho es ho spo s” o biological di e si y in he wo ld. Howe e ,
la ge-scale de o es a ion o ag icul u e, u baniza ion, mining, and in as uc u e p ojec s has posed a signi ican h ea o i s biodi e si y.
This pape analyzes he pa e ns and consequences o biodi e si y loss in he Wes e n Gha s, e iews he exis ing li e a u e, and highligh s
s a egies o sus ainable conse a ion. The indings e eal ha de o es a ion has led o habi a agmen a ion, species ex inc ion, soil
e osion, and clima e change impac s, which collec i ely h ea en he ecological balance o he egion.
Keywo ds: Biodi e si y, De o es a ion, Wes e n Gha s, ecological, Loss
In oduc ion
The Wes e n Gha s, also known as he Sahyad i Hills,
s e ch ac oss he s a es o Maha ash a, Goa, Ka na aka,
Ke ala, and Tamil Nadu. I is home o nea ly 7,400 species
o plan s, 508 species o bi ds, 179 species o amphibians,
and o e 300 globally h ea ened species. The ecological
ichness o his egion con ibu es signi ican ly o India’s
biodi e si y weal h. Howe e , de o es a ion d i en by
de elopmen al p essu es has eme ged as a majo challenge.
This esea ch pape explo es how biodi e si y loss due o
de o es a ion a ec s ecological sys ems, local communi ies,
and u u e sus ainabili y.
Objec i es/Resea ch Ques ions
Objec i es
1. To analyze he ex en o de o es a ion in he Wes e n
Gha s.
2. To s udy he impac o de o es a ion on lo a and auna
biodi e si y.
3. To e alua e socio-economic consequences o
biodi e si y loss o local communi ies.
4. To e iew conse a ion policies and sugges sus ainable
solu ions.
Resea ch Ques ions
▪ How has de o es a ion al e ed he biodi e si y o he
Wes e n Gha s?
▪ Wha a e he key d i e s behind de o es a ion in his
egion?
▪ Wha measu es can be aken o balance de elopmen
and biodi e si y conse a ion?
Li e a u e Re iew
Se e al schola s and ins i u ions ha e s udied he
biodi e si y o he Wes e n Gha s.
Gadgil & Guha (1995) [1] highligh ed he ecological
sensi i i y o he egion and he impo ance o conse a ion.
The India Biodi e si y Repo (2010) s essed habi a
agmen a ion due o human in e en ions.
UNESCO (2012) [2] ecognized pa s o he Wes e n Gha s
In e na ional Jou nal o T ends in Eme ging Resea ch and De elopmen h ps:// esea ch endsjou nal.com
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as Wo ld He i age Si es due o hei unique biodi e si y.
Recen s udies by he Indian Ins i u e o Science (IISc)
e eal ha de o es a ion has accele a ed species ex inc ion
and dis up ed ecosys em se ices such as pollina ion and
ca bon seques a ion.
O e all, he li e a u e emphasizes ha while he Wes e n
Gha s is ecologically i eplaceable, unsus ainable
de elopmen h ea ens i s long- e m su i al.
Ma e ils and Me hods
The me hodology o his s udy includes
1. Seconda y Da a Analysis: Re iewing epo s om
UNESCO, IUCN, Minis y o En i onmen & Fo es s,
and academic jou nals.
2. Case S udies: Examina ion o speci ic egions like
Silen Valley (Ke ala), Kodagu (Ka na aka), and Nilgi i
Biosphe e Rese e (Tamil Nadu).
3. Compa a i e S udy: Assessing p e-de o es a ion and
pos -de o es a ion biodi e si y da a.
4. Quali a i e Analysis: Impac on ibal communi ies and
local li elihoods.
Resul s/Findings
The s udy e eals he ollowing indings
1. Fo es Loss: Nea ly 40% o he Wes e n Gha s’ o iginal
o es co e has been los in he las 100 yea s.
2. Species Th ea : O e 300 species a e lis ed as
endange ed, including he Lion- ailed Macaque,
Malaba Ci e , and Pu ple F og.
3. Habi a F agmen a ion: Con inuous o es s ha e been
b oken in o small pa ches, educing species’ abili y o
su i e.
4. Soil & Wa e Impac : De o es a ion has led o soil
e osion, educed g oundwa e echa ge, and al e ed
i e sys ems.
5. Clima e Change Link: Fo es loss has con ibu ed o
i egula monsoon pa e ns and ising local
empe a u es.
Discussion
The biodi e si y loss in he Wes e n Gha s due o
de o es a ion is no only an ecological issue bu also a social
and economic conce n. Local communi ies depend on
o es s o ood, medicine, and cul u al p ac ices. Wi h
biodi e si y decline, hei li elihoods a e a isk.
De elopmen p ojec s such as dams, highways, and mining
b ing sho - e m economic bene i s bu cause i e e sible
ecological damage. Policies like he Wes e n Gha s Ecology
Expe Panel (WGEEP) Repo (2011) sugges ed s ic
conse a ion measu es, bu poli ical and economic p essu es
hinde implemen a ion. Hence, a balance be ween
conse a ion and de elopmen is c ucial.
Conclusion
The Wes e n Gha s ep esen a p iceless ecological easu e.
De o es a ion has se e ely impac ed i s biodi e si y,
h ea ening endange ed species and des abilizing
ecosys ems. E ec i e conse a ion policies, s ic e
en o cemen o en i onmen al laws, p omo ion o eco-
ou ism, and pa icipa ion o local communi ies a e essen ial
o sa e he Wes e n Gha s. Sus ainable de elopmen should
be p io i ized o e sho - e m economic gains o ensu e
biodi e si y conse a ion o u u e gene a ions.
Re e ences
1. Gadgil M, Guha R. Ecology and equi y: The use and
abuse o na u e in con empo a y India. New Delhi:
Ox o d Uni e si y P ess; c1995.
2. Uni ed Na ions Educa ional, Scien i ic and Cul u al
O ganiza ion (UNESCO). Wo ld He i age Si es epo
on he Wes e n Gha s. Pa is: UNESCO; c2012.
3. Minis y o En i onmen , Fo es and Clima e Change
(MoEFCC). India s a e o o es epo . New Delhi:
Go e nmen o India; c2018.
4. Indian Ins i u e o Science (IISc). De o es a ion and
biodi e si y loss in he Wes e n Gha s. Bengalu u:
Indian Ins i u e o Science; c2020.
5. In e na ional Union o Conse a ion o Na u e
(IUCN). The IUCN Red Lis o Th ea ened Species:
Wes e n Gha s egion. Gland: IUCN; c2021.
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